Cannes, France Cannes is the sister city to Beverly Hills and the chic epicenter of the French Riviera – a world of exclusive boutiques, palm-lined avenues, starlet-studded beaches, and elegant sidewalk cafes. While most famous for its Film Festival in May, at the colossal Palais des Festivals, when international celebrities gather to screen films and make deals, it glitters every month with swimming and sunning by day, and a club and casino scene by night. Cannes is the archetypal Mediterranean resort city, discovered by wealthy English nobles who came to the sunny south of France to escape their draughty old castles during the dreary British winters. Cannes' high-flying lifestyle has attracted notables and the notorious ever since.

Portofino, Italy On the hills above, palatial villas in ice-cream colors look down on the tiny harbor and exclusive boutiques and harbor-side cafés. This is Portofino, a name that has come to symbolize the sophisticated, sybaritic lifestyle of the Italian Riviera.

L'Ile Rousse, France L'Île Rousse, developed by Pascal Paoli in the 1760s as a "gallows to hang Calvi", simply doesn't convince as a Corsican town; its palm trees, smart shops, neat flower gardens and colossal pink seafront hotel create an atmosphere that has more in common with the French Riviera. Pascal Paoli had great plans for his new town on the Haute-Balagne coast, which was laid out from scratch in 1758 as a port to export the olive oil produced in the region. A large part of the new port was built on a grid system, featuring lines of straight parallel streets quite at odds with the higgley-piggley nature of most Corsican villages and towns. Thanks to the busy trading of wine and oil, it soon began to prosper and, two and a half centuries later, still thrives as a successful port.

Calvi, Corsica Napoleon once said that he could recognize his native island blindfolded because of the wonderful perfume of the maquis. Approaching by sea, it is the first thing you experience about Corsica. The second is its wild and mountainous landscape. Nearby are secluded beaches and the eerie Grottes des Veaux Marins, offering fantastic diving opportunities.

Plage d' Arone, Corsica -France

Porquerolles, France Porquerolles is an island in Iles d'Hyeres, Cote d'Azur, France with an approximate population of 200. It's length is roughly 4.3 miles and width 1,254 miles. On the north side of the island is a port and beaches.

The island's village was established in 1820, with a lighthouse constructed in 1837 and church in 1850. The entire island was purchased in 1912 by Francois Joseph Fournier as an alleged wedding present for his wife. He planted 500 acres of vineyard which produced a wine that was among the first to be classified as "Vin des Cotes de Provence. Today, most of the island is a national park.

Sanary Sur Mer, France A pretty town along the Provencal coast, Sanary Sur Mer offers a charming seafront ambience, and interesting streets to wander. Stop off in a café and enjoy excellent rosé from the nearby region of Bandol. During the 1930’s, Sanary, on the Côte d’Azur, was a welcome refuge for German and English ex-patriot intellectuals. Sanary became the home of Aldous Huxley, Thomas Mann, Bertold Brecht, and Wilhelm Herzog. D.H. Lawrence and Jean Cocteau were frequent visitors. All escaped before the German invasion.

St. Tropez, France Small but chic, St. Tropez is a lively town whose beaches are legendary, both for their beauty and for the beauties on them. Follow the narrow lanes from the waterfront, and you’ll arrive at the oldest part of St. Tropez, where twisting narrow streets open onto tiny squares and fountains. Great views can be had from the 16th-century Citadel, but the most interesting views are from a chair in a sidewalk café: sit on the terrace and watch the fascinating, flirtatious French Riviera pass by.

St. Tropez is a people-watcher's paradise, so you will also want to explore her famous beaches, bistros and bars. The appropriately named Tahiti Plage is where topless sun tanning started, and whether you prefer to take it off or take it all in, there's always plenty to see in St. Tropez.

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